Adventures, Atmos, and Advent
by Crimson Fox4
Summary: Who needs chocolate when you have the Storm Hawks? An advent calendar made up of Storm Hawks holiday themed drabbles to help mark the countdown to Christmas! Sit back, relax, grab some hot chocolate, and stop to watch the snowflakes this holiday season!
1. December 1st  On Track

**Hello again all! It's December already, and I think we all know what's happening in just a few weeks. How do we often count down to the 25****th**** of December? Why, with advent calendars of course! I have one of those chocolate ones this year, and I only started opening them today (I know, I'm late as usual ;) ) And I began wondering for some reason what Christmas would be like for the Storm Hawks in Atmos (I figured they wouldn't have chocolate calendars like us).**

**So, in honour of the fast approaching holiday season, and Storm Hawks, I have come up with a story idea (That's why you're currently reading about it). **

**I've never been much of a drabble writer, but, I'm going to try my hand at it and see how it goes. If you haven't already guessed, this is a written advent calendar for all us Storm Hawks fans so that we all can (hopefully) have some small little Christmas themed story to read until the big day! (No promises, but I'll do my best)**

**I do not own the Storm Hawks, they are the property of Nerd Corps.**

**So, without further ado, the first instalment of **_**Adventures, Atmos, and Advent**_

* * *

_December 1st_

_On Track_

Piper had all of us start decorating the _Condor_ for Christmas today, meaning that Stork and Aerrow hung lights, Radarr cut and hung paper snowflakes, and I had to help Piper decorate the tree while Junko got to set up the train set. Each year we all end up doing the same jobs, and each year when I mention this to Piper she just says, "Maybe we'll switch things up next year."

We never do.

Secretly, I've always wanted to try Junko's job of setting up the toy train. A little childish, I know, but I'm the _Finnster -_ the others should expect me to be childish by now. Besides, I had a similar train set when I was younger and have been dying to try out our Christmas train for years.

I know how to put it together and everything – it's not very hard – but I think that Piper just assumes I'll break it or mess it up somehow. Honestly though, she doesn't trust _me_ with the train set, but she trusts _Junko,_ a _Wallop_? Junko's my best bud, and I know he wouldn't hurt a fly unless it was a Cyclonian fly, but he can still forget his strength at times.

In any case, I'm determined to play with– I mean, _set up_ the train this year. I talked with Junko about it earlier this morning, and we agreed to meet on the bridge in the middle of the night to create the best Christmas train set up ever recorded in the Storm Hawks' squadron log. Oh yeah, it was going to be _amaze-zing!_

With all the loop the loops, spins, flips, twists, rolls, and jumps we had planned, our toy train would wow and amaze any and all visitors we may have this month. Plus, by Junko and I creating the greatest train track ever imagined, it'll totally defy Piper and her Christmas organization, adding the _oh_ so sweet _zing_ in amazing! Double the enjoyment for only half the effort – my favourite result there is when it comes to having to do work.

Speaking of work, Junko and I have a lot of work ahead of us tonight if we're going to get our record breaking train masterpiece finished before anyone finds out our plans. Who needs to worry about that though when the sky's the limit for the Storm Hawks when it comes to everything we do?

Junko and I will make the most amazing Christmas toy train track tonight in the history of the Atmos that'll be sure to get the Storm Hawks on track for enjoying another Christmas together.

I can hardly wait!

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**Well, for those who didn't totally notice, this was a Finn drabble! I know I didn't do the greatest job of portraying his character ( I wrote this one in Physics, what do you expect?), but I hope it was still Finn enough for all his fans out there. **

**I know I'm a few days behind, but I'll make sure to do the best I can to catch up and/or keep up, so keep an eye out for two updates in a day some times in the coming weeks.**

**Also, just as a fun little game, feel free to leave a review or message telling me what you think the picture on the chocolate from my calendar each day was that inspired me to write each drabble!**

**~Crimson Fox4**


	2. December 2nd Starry Knight

**Well, here's the second installment of this new story! Just a warning now, I think all of my updates will end up being very late at night… just based on a growing trend of extended hours at work and school work, you know, nothing out of the ordinary!**

**Thank you to those who have reviewed so far, you've been very encouraging! **

**The chocolate I opened for December first was in fact a train, so, for those of you who guessed right, congratulations! For those of you who didn't guess right or didn't guess at all… congratulations! You've won the prize of figuring it out next time! :D**

**In any case, here is the story for December the second, enjoy!**

**I do not own the Storm Hawks, they are the property of Nerd Corps.**

* * *

_December 2nd_

_Starry Knight_

It has been snowing hard since last night and the weather hasn't let up a bit today. It's still snowing and blowing outside, the howl of the wind growing more annoying with each passing minute. The entire squadron has been stuck inside the _Condor _for hours, and we always seem to come up with the strangest ideas of things to do when we get bored of being cooped up inside all day.

Don't get me wrong, the _Condor _is a great place to spend your day and everything, but generally we're flying through the air high in the sky where anything can happen. However, during snowstorms that ground our metal home on a deserted wooded terra for safety's sake, a Storm Hawk's freedom can easily feel squandered.

It seemed to me that after spending all day with each other, the boys were finally tiring of each others' company. Even Stork was grouchier than usual, but that could just be because of an incident earlier this morning involving tinsel, pine air fresheners, and festive reindeer antlers. I think it's fair to say that we've all discovered they don't mix well – especially when Stork is involved. Actually, we all decided to never speak of it again.

In any case, it was beginning to get late, and no one was ready to retreat to their beds to rest. To be blunt, we hadn't even done anything today that would cause us to feel the need to sleep. There was absolutely nothing to do all afternoon since we had already completed all our chores for the day and then some, thanks to all the free time we had had. We had finished everything on the list besides shoveling.

Glancing over my shoulder to look out into the darkening world outside, I noticed that the wind had died down a touch, and that it was no longer blowing the snow around, but blowing the snowstorm to the East of us. Grinning, I jumped up from the table as an idea began to form in my mind.

As I began to put on my winter jacket, I called to the others, "Come on, you're all going to miss out on the fun!" Nothing else had to be said as Finn, Junko, Aerrow, and Radarr jumped off and over the couch before scrambling into their winter clothing as well, excited to actually be doing something.

I walked up to Stork with a shovel in hand, but before I could say anything he stated, "Shoveling is bad for your back. Besides, all that fresh snow is bound to be covering up a layer of ice on the runway." I raised an eyebrow in question, and then turned around, knowing that I wouldn't be able to change the Merb's mind.

As I left the bridge with the others, I heard Stork call out, "Enjoy your wet, slippery demise, but make sure to clear off my ship first!" Smirking at my friend's sense of humour, I glanced to my right and caught Aerrow grinning as well. It seemed we both knew what Stork was truly after – a reprieve from Finn and Junko's boredom and the whining that had followed.

With Aerrow and I working to clear the half of the runway furthest from the hangar, and Finn and Junko clearing the snow away nearest the hangar, I figured we'd be done our task fairly quickly, leaving us some time to have some _real_ fun.

Turning to face Aerrow where he was shoveling near the left side of the runway, I was about to tell him we were making good time when something wet and cold connected with the side of my face. Blinking furiously, I saw Aerrow's shocked face turn into one of mischief as he dropped his shovel before scooping up a handful of snow and hurling it towards the hangar.

Wiping the snow from the side of my face, I turned to see that while Aerrow, Finn, Junko and I had been shoveling, Radarr had been making a snow fort in the middle of the runway. Putting two and two together, I quickly dropped my own shovel and replaced it with a firmly packed snowball before whipping it at Radarr's ears that were sticking out above his snowy stronghold.

With a cry of surprise, Aerrow's co-pilot ducked just in time, allowing my snowball to continue soaring through the air until it plowed right into the back of Finn's head. I gasped as my teammate fell face first into the pile of snow he had been shoveling, but then I began laughing with Aerrow at our sharpshooter's predicament of being lodged into a snow bank – headfirst!

After a few more _accidental_ misses and miscalculations of snowball trajectories, a full out snowball war began right on the _Condor's _flight deck. After the destruction of his fort, Radarr was quick to join ranks with Junko and Finn. Aerrow and I had managed to hold our ground for the most part, but our teammates were slowly advancing.

Now standing back to back, we tried to cover ourselves as best as we could, but it was no use, we were quickly surrounded after we ran out of snow around us to throw.

"Now, would you like to come peacefully?" Junko questioned us, looking at the snowball in his hand, and then back at us.

"Or do you want to do this the hard way?" Finn concluded, grinning maniacally at his armload of snowballs waiting to be dispensed.

Turning slightly so I'd be able to see Aerrow better to ask him what he wanted to do, I was surprised to see that he had disappeared. I whirled around however when I heard the crunch of footsteps in the snow behind me.

Aerrow was grinning mischievously from ear to ear as he said, "Sorry Piper, but I decided to see what it's like to come peacefully for once, and you know what?"

"What?" I questioned, worried with the look of anticipation in his emerald eyes.

"Four on one is a lot more fun when you aren't the on the one-person team!"

With that, I was pelted by snow balls from all sides, the boys laughing at their ingenuity. However, I was making up plans at that moment for retaliation. Not just in regards to snow, no! I was thinking of something involving tinsel, air freshener, and antlers. Before I could continue thinking anymore about my imminent revenge upon my teammates, I felt someone tackle me around the waist before we both landed deep in the snow.

I heard laughter all around me before Finn cried, "It's freezing out here!"

Radarr growled in agreement before I heard three pairs of footsteps heading towards the light spewing out from the hangar, Junko and Finn's talk of hot chocolate floating into the night air. I continued to listen for a moment before I turned my neck to the left to see my friend's face near mine, looking up at me expectantly.

Aerrow gave me a meek grin and stated, "While it was fun turning over to the 'bad side', it was even better getting to save you in the end."

Chuckling a bit, I grinned and turned my face towards the cool night air, having suddenly realized how close I was to my long time friend and how warm my cheeks were despite the cold. I heard the snow crunch around Aerrow as he shifted slightly, and only then did I realize I was practically in his lap, both of us lying in the snow with Aerrow's arms still wrapped around my waist from when he tackled me.

Twisting myself around so that I could save myself from such an awkward position, I was surprised when Aerrow's grasp tightened. Instead of squirming free like I had intended, Aerrow had dragged me back down into the snow, this time beside him. I instantly missed Aerrow's warmth, and was suddenly content with the warming comfort his arms wrapped around my torso brought.

Looking up at Aerrow, I saw him grinning down at me before he turned his eyes skyward. Shifting myself closer to him for more warmth, I too looked to the skies above.

With the disappearance of the snow laden clouds, the sky was now clear and black, with thousands of wintertime stars shimmering and blinking overhead. I looked above me a while longer before I glanced at Aerrow's face once more.

I could tell from the quick flick of his eyes that he had been watching me before I turned to look at him. I knew that he was aware of my gaze, but I couldn't tear myself away from his eyes when he turned to look at me once more, as the thousands of stars above were being reflected in his orbs of jade.

Smiling slightly, I turned my eyes to the heavens once more and gently leaned my head on Aerrow's shoulders, suddenly glad for the snow that had been the source of all our fun and time spent with friends today. Most importantly though, I was thankful for the starry canopy above, and for the Knight next to me that held me in his protective, caring embrace.

* * *

**Ta da! Any of you who have read my stories before must know by now that I can't stay away from the Aerrow and Piper pairing for long…. I hope you're all okay with that! I'm trying to use this story as a way to get back into the swing of writing before the Christmas break, and I'm beginning to see that my writing style is becoming very peculiar because of the books I've been reading for school lately, so sorry if my writing seems… stiff? It's hard to explain really.**

**But anyway!**

**Let me know in a review if you know what chocolate I had for the second of December! Also, if you have time, can you let me know whether you like short, long, or medium drabbles best? (Dec. 1 being short, and today's being long)**

**Thanks so much everyone!**

**~Crimson Fox4**


	3. December 3rd UWO

**Hello again! Sorry that my updates have been lacking over the past couple of days, I've had a lot of work and school and such, but I'm hoping to be back on track by Sunday…. But as always, we'll have to wait and find out.**

**And for those of you playing along with the guessing game, congratulations to those who guessed that my chocolate was a star for December the second! Now though, you'll have to guess what December the third was! To do so though, you'll need another story… oh wait, here's one! Enjoy!**

**I do not own the Storm Hawks, they are the property of Nerd Corps.**

* * *

_December 3rd_

_U.W.O._

I know it's there. Just sitting there in my room, waiting for me... all red, and green, and worst of all, _curly._

I can't stop the shudder of dread that runs through my body as I stand behind the controls of the _Condor_, contemplating the doom that's waiting for me in my room. The others have been asking all day why I'm so tense, but how do I describe the _thing_ that I found sitting on my desk this morning?

I know it's Christmas time and everything, and that I should've been ready for several U.W.O. sightings, but I wasn't prepared to see one so soon.

_And it had to make its appearance in my room of __**all**__ places. It's like it knows where I sleep…._

I felt my left eye twitch at the thought, realizing how a U.W.O.'s sudden covert appearance had caught me – Stork – unaware. Since the U.W.O. obviously has the upper hand thanks to its sneaky infiltration of my safe haven, I now only have two important questions to ask myself. Who or _what_ had placed the U.W.O. on my desk, and what could be in it?

Just as I began contemplating this, I heard the scratching of claws on the metal floor behind me. Turning around to greet Radarr, I gasped at what he held in his paws with such an innocent, sincere look on his face. However, the furry blue co-pilot has no idea the danger he has put us in by retrieving such a dangerous object from my room. Worse yet, It was still just as rectangular and box like as before, and it's red and green covering seemed to look even brighter than it had this morning. Worst of all though, its red, green, and white curls were still on top of it, gleaming in the sunlight.

Now he'd gone and done it, Radarr had removed the U.W.O. from the confines of my room, making it free to roam abroad the ship and induce its inevitable destruction. For, as soon as everyone saw the Unidentified Wrapped Object in Radarr's hands, I'd have to fly the _Condor _all the way to Atmosia just so the other Storm Hawks could indulge in Christmas shopping and drag me along for the terrifying trip.

Marching off to go and cover myself with disinfectants and repellents in hopes of surviving the next ordeal with my squadron, I muttered to Radarr, "Next year, no presents will appear until a week before Christmas if I have anything to say about it. They just bring about my doom." Hearing Radarr's questioning growl I stated, "I'm doomed to be merry from now until Christmas. Thanks."

* * *

**Hahaha…. This ended up going in a slightly different direction than I originally planned, but I like Stork's pessimistic humour too much than to discard it for happier emotions simply because it's Christmas time ;) **

**Anyway, hope you all liked it, and I hope that it worked out doing the present tense… I don't really use it all that often for the primary tense in my stories, but I hope there weren't too many noticeable mistakes that detracted from your focus on the story.**

**Also, I encourage everyone to keep guessing what chocolates correspond to what story / day, as I think I'm going to keep track, and whoever gets the most correct will win a special prize….. More details to come.**

**~Crimson Fox4**


	4. December 4th Lucky

**Hello again all, sorry that it's been awhile since the last update, I know this was supposed to be a chapter per day kind of story, but as you can tell, homework, and a job don't always make it the easiest to do so.**

**By the way, thanks to everyone who has been reviewing, I'm really grateful for all the comments and suggestions, and I'm glad to see that people are continuing to guess what chocolate shape inspired the chapter!**

**While we're still on the topic of reviews, it came up last chapter that I had posted December the 3rd on December the 8th. While time zones and update times can account for a bit of discrepancies of story date and actual date, there are several other reasons why chapters aren't being posted on their corresponding dates. The main one already having been mentioned above about time restraints, but also because I started this story idea three days into December, along with not being able to write or plan ahead due to the nature of advent Calendars.**

**But anyway, I also received a request to have some Cyclonian drabbles / stories thrown in here as well. I think this is a very interesting idea, and have some days coming up where I could work them in…. does anyone have any objections to this?**

**Oh! And December the third's chocolate was indeed a present.**

**Well, Enjoy December the fourth's story on December the twelfth! **

**(By the way, this story might not be all that Christmassy…. It was a strange chocolate on the fourth.)**

**I do not own the Storm Hawks, they are the property of Nerd Corps.**

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_December 4th_

_Lucky_

"Thanks for saving us."

I looked around for a moment before I realized that the quiet voice had come from below me. Kneeling down, I focused my gaze on a young boy's face when we were eye to eye. Smiling a gap toothed grin, he wrapped his arms around me as best he could in a hug.

I was shocked for a moment that such a small child would want to hug me, but I returned his hug gently, careful not to hurt him like I did sometimes with my teammates when I forgot my strength.

Pulling away, I saw the child grab something from his pocket and say, "Here, this is for you." Before he shoved something green towards my face.

Leaning backwards, the green blur soon turned into a small, four leafed plant. Looking at the boy's sincere, expectant face, I grinned and plucked the small plant from the boy's hand and said, "Thank you, but you really didn't need to give me anything - the Storm Hawks will always save everyone we can from Cyclonians and danger."

"It's what we do!" Finn exclaimed from behind me. Turning around, I saw him grin and wink at the little boy before he added, "Unfortunately we have to get going, Aerrow and Piper intercepted a radio message reporting more Cyclonian activity nearby."

"Alright Finn, I'll be right there." I called to my best friend before I turned around to talk to they boy again. However, he was already running off to his family who had been waiting for him, but he did pause to wave goodbye when he saw that I was looking in his direction.

Standing up once more, I waved back to him before turning to walk towards the _Condor,_ twirling the small plant between my fingers.

No one was in the hangar bay when I got there, so I headed towards the bridge, doing my best not to trip over anything, as the four leafed plant the boy had given me had my full attention. I really wanted to know why he gave it to _me_.

Upon stumbling through the bridge door, I looked up to see that the others were already waiting for me over at the helm near Stork. As I walked over to them, I glanced down at the plant once more and smiled, suddenly remembering how lucky I was to be a part of the Storm Hawks.

The good guys.

* * *

**Not very Christmassy I know, but like I mentioned at the beginning of this chapter, the picture I got on the fourth was really peculiar. So, if anyone recognizes the picture I got and wants to explain to me how it relates to Christmas, I would most welcome some education about the topic/symbol.**

**Well, I'm off to finish my English ISU, but there may be more chapters to come today, we'll have to see how efficiently I can switch from fiction writing to essay writing! **

**Enjoy the last bit of your weekend everyone, and don't forget to guess what the chocolate/ picture was! And remember, the reader that ends with the most correct guesses will win a special prize….. :)**

**~Crimson Fox4**


	5. December 5th A Green Everest

**Hello again all! It is snowy and blowy out my window, thus school has been closed for today (SCORE!), so… I figured I may as well do some writing while I'm home considering my rough draft for my ISU is complete! (Once again, SCORE!)**

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter and for all your different views on what a 4-leaf clover could mean. I have to say, I feel very educated about 4-leaf clovers and other Christmas plants now. Again, thanks to the reviewers that took some time out of their day to do their best to explain it to me!**

**Yes, the chocolate for December the fourth was a 4-leaf clover. Now though, onto December the fifth!**

**I do not own the Storm Hawks, they are the property of Nerd Corps.**

* * *

_December 5th_

_A Green Everest_

They were at it again, setting up that great, green giant. It always appeared on the bridge for a month in the winter, colourful packages slowly gathering below it as the days passed.

The whole squadron always seemed to enjoy this holiday ritual, so it was no surprise that when Aerrow woke up and saw snow outside our window this morning, that he quickly shook me awake before going to wake the others.

After we all had eaten breakfast, Piper had given Stork directions to a nearby uninhabited, wooden terra. Upon landing, Stork wished us good luck, but didn't journey out into the snow with us after he had given us his annual speech of the terrors and diseases associated with uninhabited terras during the winter.

But, as I said, Stork's talk of snow related doom was just a part of the strange tradition as well. Accordingly, that's when I climbed on Aerrow's shoulders, and both of us along with Piper, Junko, and Finn walked out into the cold.

We walked into the forest surrounding the clearing the _Condor _had landed in before we came upon a small grove of evergreen trees. Once we had reached the grove, the five of us split up in order to search for the perfect tree to topple. I remembered from previous outings in past years that Piper had always argued with the boys that it was important to choose a tree that would fit on the bridge of the _Condor_, and not simply because it waas the biggest tree Junko could carry.

I scurried around and amongst the snow laden boughs of the trees while this argument began. To be honest, often they would argue until Aerrow gave into Piper's logic. As much as he wanted the biggest, most amazing tree in the Atmos, he also never wanted to make Piper upset if he could help it. So, it was inevitable that he would cave to her demands – he always did – as it was just another part of their holiday ritual of finding a tree.

However, my teammates somehow always come to the conclusion that I should be the one to pick the tree as the four of them can never agree on one single tree that they all like. That's why while Piper and Aerrow had started their argument, I was looking at all the trees in the grove to find the perfect green Everest of a tree that would qualify as just that – perfect.

Now we were all back on the warm bridge of the _Condor_ though, watching as Junko set the tree upright in its stand. It wasn't a massive tree of course, but it was nice and round with lots of lush needles that looked even greener now that they weren't covered in snow. I looked around and my teammates, my family, and knew somehow that they all approved.

It's hard to find the right tree when you have six different sets of expectations to meet, but my secret to success year after year is to just look up from the ground at the tree and decide whether it's a green enough Everest to climb. After all, I'm the one that has to climb all the way to the top to put the angel on each year, so why wouldn't I make sure it was Radarr climbing approved?

* * *

**Hee hee hee. I hope everyone enjoyed Radarr's point of view for a change, I don't write from his point of view very often, but for some reason, I just have this feeling that he would have the most insight to share with us about any of the characters since he is quite intelligent, and he is often just amongst the action in a perfect observing position.**

**But anyway, speaking of POV changes, no one told me last chapter what they thought about including the Cyclonians in these drabbles as well. After all, this story is called: Adventures, Atmos, and Advent. I'm assuming Cyclonians can be added to the 'Atmos' part of it, what do you all think?**

**Well, let me know what chocolate you think I had for the fifth!**

**~Crimson Fox4**


	6. December 6th Sheltered

**Well, I know it's been awhile since I've updated, and I'm sorry. Even though I had a bunch of snow days last week, my time ended up being occupied with several other things besides writing. Actually, I was doing a bunch of writing, but it was all for my final project for English, but the good news is that I finished it completely on Friday, and I don't have to work until later tomorrow, so I should have some time to do some more enjoyable writing.**

**To be honest, I was concerned when ****aerrowlver1127**** said that they were going to hurt someone if I didn't update. I know they were joking, but it was a good enough reminder to get me going on this again ;) Also, they suggested last chapter that I should be doing shout outs… that isn't my usual style, even in an author's note, but from now on for this story (And maybe others in the future) I'll let you know if anyone has left anything important in a review I want you all to know, and I think I'll start keeping track of who has guessed the chocolates right! **

**I'll post the list so far in the author's note at the end of all the chapters from now on. But for now, enjoy the story for December the sixth. Wow, I really am behind….. :S**

**I do not own the Storm Hawks, they are the property of Nerd Corps.**

* * *

_December 6__th_

_Sheltered_

"This way!" I cried as I pointed to a wall of trees behind me with one illuminated blade while I used my other weapon to shoot small bursts of blue energy at the approaching ranks of Cyclonian Talons.

Piper glanced over her shoulder at me and nodded before she let out a final volley from her staff and retreated to where I stood. Gathering my strength, I crossed my arms and drew the glowing weapons close to my face. Closing my eyes for a moment to focus, I quickly lashed out with my blades – an extension of my arms – and watched as the wave of light blue hurdled towards our enemies.

I staggered backwards as a wave of tiredness flowed over me, but Piper's steadying hand on my back caused me to grin before I grabbed her hand and dashed into the forest behind us, my energy quickly returning thanks to the adrenaline pumping through my veins.

"Where are we going Aerrow?" Piper inquired as she followed me through the snow, both of us tripping over hidden roots and trying to keep each other upright regardless. "Why are we heading in the opposite direction of the _Condor_?"

Pausing for a moment to regain my bearings, I quickly replied, "The _Condor_ is too far away, besides, I don't want to lead the Cyclonians to the rest of the squadron while they're still trying to defrost the ship's engines." Glancing to the North, I gripped Piper's cold hand with my own numb one before I started us off in a new direction.

"Fine." Piper muttered. She was quiet for a time, our breathing and the crunch of the snow beneath our feet the only sounds to be found in the forest. The next time I stopped at a familiar marker though, she asked, "But where are we going if we aren't going to the _Condor_? Where else is there to go on this frozen terra?"

Looking over at her briefly before I turned to a narrower path, I replied, "There is somewhere quite safe on this terra, we just have to find it first."

"Find it?"

"Yes. Find it." When I went to move forward, Piper held fast, her feet planted in the snow. When I turned to look at her, she simply raised her eyebrow in question. Frowning, I told her, "I'll tell you everything once we find it, but for now we need to keep moving so the Talons don't find us."

Piper began to frown as well, stating, "We're walking through snow Aerrow, they can just follow our footprints you know."

Realizing Piper was right, I thought for a few moments before replying, if you have your wind stone with you, we can crank this storm into high gear and turn it into a blizzard. The Cyclonians won't be able to track us that way."

Piper nodded slowly, obviously thinking my plan over for herself before asking, "If they can't track us though, are you going to be able to find your way to wherever it is we're going?"

"Of course I can." I retorted, gripping Piper's hand and tugging her in the direction of safety. "Just hurry up and increase this wind so that it can get between all these trees and start to cover up our footprints."

Piper followed me, doing her best to search through her small crystal bag, and eventually she managed to pull out a shining green stone in her right hand. A small luminescent glow encircled us for a moment, adding to the dying light around us. Suddenly though, just as I began to drag Piper towards a nearby clearing I felt a sudden surge of wind around us, flipping my already messy hair every which way.

My friend squeezed my hand, assuring me that she was still there and trusted me to guide us out of the storm and to my promised shelter. I just hoped beyond hope that it'd still be there after over ten years.

Stumbling forward through the snow, I drew Piper closer to me and wrapped an arm around my friend to steady her as the wind began to blast down upon us because we had entered into a clearing between several trees. I squinted into the swirling white mass around me, looking for a familiar shape in the white gloom.

We moved forward slowly, Piper's grip on my arm slowly become slack as the cold air bit through our uniforms with a vengeance. I could feel my limbs slowly growing numb as well, but I couldn't give up when I had promised Piper shelter.

Just as Piper was about ready to collapse from the harsh conditions and the dangerously low temperature, I saw a shadow looming ahead. It was box like in shape, and became clearer and more familiar as we approached. Feeling my friend slump against me, shivering, I gathered her into my arms and trudged forward through the accumulating snow and heaved a great sigh of relief when I finally reached the entrance to the shelter we had been looking for.

Walking inside, I stumbled through the darkness and laid Piper down on a soft object in the middle of the room. Turning around, I closed the door and held my breath as I flicked a switch. Looking around the dark room, I grinned as lights lit up throughout the small structure despite a lack of maintenance.

I was able to appreciate the wooden walls for a while longer, my hands reaching out to touch the old familiar surface before a wave of fatigue fell upon me. I blinked my eyes blearily and stumbled towards a stone structure on one side of the room, slowly building and lighting a fire out of a forgotten habit and necessity.

Once I could feel the heat warming me, I stumbled towards where I had laid Piper. I flopped down beside her and drew her to me before my exhaustion took over me completely. No matter what her reaction was in the morning, I was going to find a way to shelter her no matter what, whether it was me, the fire, or the shelter of the very building itself.

I had promised myself I would, and Piper knows I always keep my promises.

* * *

**Well, I hope you all like that. Now all the Storm Hawks have been featured in their own stories, so I'll switch over to Cyclonians and other random characters when the chocolates apply to them, and don't worry, the Storm Hawks will pop up too, I think I need to add more to this story…. 'cause it has room for expansion I suppose, what do you all think?**

**And, as promised:**

_Strawberry Kaydee _**4**

_kezzywezzy25 _**4**

_Amethyst Sparrow _**4**

_WhispertheWolf _**4.5 (You sort of got it half right one day, and it's getting closer to Christmas, so I felt generous enough to give you a half point ;D)**

_Mitoki-hime _**1**

_Arendos _**1**

**Alright, there was no special ordering of the names and numbers as you can see except that I started counting from the first review to the most recent, so I suppose these names are somewhat in the order of appearance.**

**Oh, and one other thing, the chocolate for December the fifth was indeed a tree! Congrats to those who guessed correctly! Hopefully this chapter is a little more challenging to guess than the last, I made it a touch vaguer just for you Arendos ;)**

**Hopefully there aren't too many spelling errors or misplaced words, I'm just getting used to typing with my new laptop, it's a touch sensitive. On the upside though, I finally have my own personal laptop at my disposal to type with! YES! (I hope you're all cheering with me, this means more stories for you, haha… ha... '-_- Fine. Don't laugh.)**

**Well, got to go, it's 1:00 in the morning where I live and I wanted to actually get up tomorrow morning to type and such. G'night, and good luck guessing the chocolate that inspired this story!**

**~ Crimson Fox4**


	7. December 7th A Man in the Snow

**So…. Sorry that I keep appearing and disappearing sporadically, life loves to intervene and such, but I don't mind. Anyway, here's a new installment of a story that will be back in season in a couple months after waiting for almost a year to be finished…Hehe…. Well, to be honest, if I try and do some typing throughout the next couple of months it'll be done in time for Christmas when it really gets busy for a lot of people. **

**Without further ado, enjoy this random update of mine, and hopefully there will be more to follow every few days, or at least once a week. We'll see. Oh, and I'll update the guessing tallies later, I kind of haven't looked at this story much until the past few days….**

**I do not own the Storm Hawks, they are the property of Nerd Corps.**

* * *

_December 7__th_

_A Man in the Snow_

A monster of a blizzard had struck up an hour before dark, hiding everything from view without a second thought. As I stared out the small window next to my bed, I began to worry. I would never admit it to any of my friends, but I _did_ worry about them… occasionally.

The storm wasn't what was bothering me the most. What was disturbing my beauty sleep was knowing that two of my friends were out there in the freezing wind and snow while I was inside snuggled up in my bed. It wasn't like we didn't want to go out and find them, we did, but Stork had kept Junko, Radarr, and I inside because the storm was seriously messing with our gear. As it turns out, the only sound that our radios can produce during a bad snowstorm is static. Eerie, wind filled static.

On that cheery note, Aerrow and Piper had promised they would be back before dark after doing some recon of the terra we had landed on in the morning to wait out the coming storm. There wasn't another terra in miles, and we wouldn't have reached any others before the storm caught up with us. However, it seemed the storm had managed to beat the Sky Knight and Navigator to the _Condor._

Sighing, I moved to get out of bed, knowing I had to do _something_ to get out of my thoughtful mood. Out of everything, that was probably what was bugging me the most. As soon as my feet hit the metal floor, I immediately regretted my decision.

"Oooahheewaw!" _I _didn't even understand the sounds that were coming out of my mouth at that moment. I just figured that the surprise and discomfort of my feet had simply demanded to be vocalized.

I quickly hopped backwards so that I was on my bed once more, my toes curled under my covers almost instantly. Shivering as I tried to warm up again, I decided that being thoughtful was _way_ better than freezing my toes off. They were just as important to me as my trigger finger. A sharpshooter needs to have great balance and composure after all.

_'Yep. Definitely can't sacrifice the toes.'_ I convinced myself as I snuggled back into my covers. Once I was nice and cozy again, I realized I still couldn't sleep. Looking up at the ceiling in disgust, I rolled over to my left and glared at the snow out the window.

"Ugh! This is all the snow's fault!" I muttered under my breath, the heat from my mouth causing the small porthole to fog over. Frowning, I grabbed a piece of my blanket and wiped the piece of glass clean, shivering as I felt the cold through the thick material of my winter comforter.

I leaned closer to the wall in order to see more out of my window. There wasn't even all that much to see – just white, more white, and a bit of darkness for the white flecks of frozen ice to swim in. As I moved to turn away from the window and try to fall asleep again, a shadow amongst the flying snow caught my attention.

Moving as close to the porthole as humanly possible without fogging it up, I took a closer look. The shadow was actually a shape on the ground just under the main body of the _Condor._ As my eyes adjusted further in the darkness, I was able to pick out two, maybe three more shapes.

They looked almost human, and for a moment I almost thought that they might be Cyclonian soldiers. _'Nah, not even Cyclonians are crazy enough to go out in weather like this.' _I reminded myself before something else came to mind. _'Besides, even if they were wearing snowsuits, those would be some __**very**__ lumpy shaped Cyclonians.'_

Smirking, I moved away from the window and sat back in bed, feeling sleep finally overcome me as I muttered, "Cyclonians using three balls of snow for camouflage, yeah right! Those are Storm Hawks originals made by yours truly."

As I fell asleep, my thoughts and dreams were no longer about Aerrow and Piper freezing, but the two of them battling the Cyclonians in lumpy snowsuits with my snowman army there to back my friends up. I knew they'd be okay – my snowmen were standing guard waiting for their return because they knew I needed to sleep. I could definitely sleep on that thought.

* * *

**I know it's out of season, and most of us don't want to think about snow yet since we aren't quite in October, but oh well! **

**So, as I noted above, I'll update the scores of who's guessed the most chocolates right so far. Oh, and if any of you are still in suspense from the last chapter, the chocolate that inspired it was one with a picture of a cabin in the snow on it. Also, this chapter kind of spiralled off of some of the events of the last chapter too. Oh, the next chapter should be titled, "Words Can't Express".**

**Well, so long for now everyone, hope you didn't mind me randomly popping back up to bring a just as random update for you!**

**~Crimson Fox4**


	8. December 8th Words Can't Express

**Alright everyone, I'm actually updating like I promised! This one was only six days after the last chapter, so… it's still within a week!**

**Now, for anyone who's wondering, I'm definitely still running the contest for this story. The updated stats will be posted at the bottom of this chapter, but here's a little more incentive….**

**I went through some of the authors notes, and in one chapter it mentioned that there would be more details to come about the prize. Well…. Imagine me writing you a story for Christmas. It could be a song fic, it could be a oneshot, or it could be a short chaptered story similar to 'Music to my Ears' Oh, and if someone, ANYONE cracks fifteen correct guesses, well, I might just post up the first chapter of APAH: Reunion, Dissent, and New Beginnings. That's right, you're not imagining it, a chapter exists for that story! In fact, I recently took a look at the second chapter and I'm in the process of reviewing the first two APAH stories to ensure the third one is still good to go. So… if anyone wants chapter 1 for Christmas this year…. Wink wink, nudge nudge. :D**

**Oh, and by the way, the chocolate for December 6****th**** was a cabin in the woods and snow, and the last chapter, December 7****th**** was a snowman. Congrats to WhsipertheWolf for being the only reviewer last chapter along with guessing correctly, whoot! **

**Well, here it is! Enjoy, and just a warning now, it may seem weird and off from what I would usually write, but the situation Piper is finding herself in is sort of peculiar too, so, keep that in mind as you read this, it is meant to be nothing more beyond FLUFF. Ahem. 'nough said.**

**I do not own the Storm Hawks, they are the property of Nerd Corps.**

* * *

_December 8__th_

_Words Can't Express_

I resisted opening my eyes for a while longer, expecting harsh light to be waiting for me as soon as I allowed myself to wake up. Instead, I curled up further as I intended to get as much sleep as I possibly could. I hadn't felt this warm and comfortable for a long time, and I definitely didn't want to go out into the snow again.

_'The snow?' _I thought to myself groggily. _'What snow?'_ I suddenly felt the need to be able to think clearly without sleep covering my thoughts in fog. So, in an attempt to clear the block in my memory, I slowly opened my eyes to take in my surroundings for some sort of clue as to where I was.

Contrary to my sleepy beliefs, the lighting of the room I was in was hardly bright. In fact, except for a small glow coming for the floor a few feet in front of me, there was hardly any light. I looked at the glow closely and soon concluded that amongst that shadows around me, there was a fireplace where a fire was slowly dying. _'Maybe that's why I'm so warm.' _I thought as I turned my gaze elsewhere.

Looking up from the mound of glowing coals, the shadowed form of the fireplace's mantel came into focus. Upon further inspection, I saw that there were framed pictures resting on the old, rustic stonework, but I couldn't see the actual photos in the frames. It was still too dark, and I had a feeling from the musty smell in the air that was mingling with the smoke of the fire that wherever I was, it hadn't been lived in for a long time. So, no doubt the pictures would be covered with years of dust, waiting for someone to rediscover the once smiling faces.

I tried to tilt my head so that I could scope out the rest of the room, but the back of my head bumped into something hard, followed by a muffled grunt of annoyance. Needless to say, I froze, listening in the silence for any other source of sound besides my beating heart. I began to move again, but this time I felt something tighten around me and rush of warm air fly past my ear as a familiar, yet raspy voice murmured, "Easy Piper, you're safe."

Aerrow's calm voice of assurance may have convinced me that I was fine, and that the two of us were out of danger for the moment, but my heart still had a reason to race. As I felt my senses slowly kicking in after being dormant while I slept, I realized that it had been Aerrow's arm that had tightened around me. Feeling instantly awkward with the whole situation, I asked impatiently, "Where are we Aerrow?"

I felt Aerrow shift behind me and one of his arms lifted and brushed the top of my head as he moved to prop himself up with it. I quickly deduced that his arm must've been what he was using as a makeshift pillow. I twisted around slightly to be able to see his face in the dim light, and couldn't help but notice Aerrow had made no effort to move his arm that was draped around me. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes as I asked again, "Atmos to Aerrow? Do you mind telling me where we are?"

Aerrow looked down at me and then to the fireplace behind me. I watched as his shadowed green eyes scanned our surroundings like I had minutes before, except his neck had the advantage of being able to move where it wanted. However, mine didn't while I was being partially pinned thanks to my friend that was half sitting, half lying next to me.

I gave him a moment more and was about to ask him my question again when he turned back to me and replied, "We're somewhere safe Piper. We're somewhere safe and warm, and for now… that's all that matters."

If he weren't my friend _and_ my Sky Knight, I may have slapped him then for not explaining himself further. Also, there was the unfortunate circumstance I was in where my hands and arms were currently pinned to my body thanks to Aerrow's ever unmoving arm. Sighing in quiet exasperation, I asked, "That's great and all, but do you mind explaining how we got here?" Aerrow glanced at me before he returned to his previous position with a sigh of his own. "Actually Aerrow, do you mind explaining _everything_?"

He shifted awkwardly until he was laying on his back, causing him move his arm that had been restricting my movement for far too long. I went to move away from Aerrow to put a bit of space between us, but that's when I realized there wasn't anywhere to move to. Whatever I was laying on ended just to my left. That's when Aerrow wrapped his left arm around my shoulders to keep me falling off before he finally started talking.

"Well, to start with, it's four in the morning and you ought to be sleeping still."

"Aerrow." I deadpanned as I glanced to my right, trying to catch a glimpse of my friend's face.

He shifted and lifted himself up some as he said, "Let's start with what you remember and go from there Piper."

I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms and tried to supress a shiver that ran through my entire body. _'Why am I so cold all of a sudden?'_ I thought to myself before telling Aerrow, "All I can remember at the moment is that there was snow, snow, and more snow."

Aerrow nodded, and I could feel his unruly hair brush past mine as his head moved. He seemed to think for a few moments before informing me, "We landed on this terra yesterday because of a big snowstorm that was headed our way that even the _Condor_ wouldn't be able to outrun. The two of us went to do some recon for a few hours before the storm kicked into high gear. The thing is we ran into some Cyclonians on the way."

"_Of_ course." I interjected.

I could hear the smirk in Aerrow's voice as he continued, "In any case, there was too many of them for us to fight alone in the snow, so we retreated into the woods to try and lose them. However, we had to use one of your crystals to kick the wind and storm up a notch or two ahead of time so that we could lose them in the snow. We could've gotten lost too, but it's a good thing I still remember my way around these woods."

I was my turn to lean up and stare down at my red haired friend as I raised an eyebrow in question and asked, "Exactly how is that, by the way? How did you know about this place?" I motioned around the room with my hand before I looked back at my friend. "What aren't you telling me Aerrow?"

The harsh tone of my voice could be heard even by me, and I winced inwardly at the realization. I quickly decided that maybe four in the morning wasn't the greatest time for us – or anyone – to be talking. Sighing, I moved so that I could lie back down and muttered, "Sorry, I just… I just want to understand what's going on."

"It's okay Piper." Aerrow shrugged his shoulders and added, "I guess you could call this log cabin a safe house of sorts. The original Storm Hawks have them littered all over the Atmos, there's practically one in every quadrant."

I couldn't help but turn and gape at Aerrow after he shared his tidbit of knowledge. "Really?" I whispered, "Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"I just did." Either Aerrow knew I'd be annoyed at his answer or saw me tense, but he quickly added, "This is the only one I remember. Any other ones I stayed in, I would've only been a baby at a time. I sort of don't remember them."

"Oh." I replied. I suppose I never really thought that there would've been places for the first Storm Hawks to hide out on occasion. But then I remembered our squadron had Terra Neverlandis as a backup, so maybe it wasn't all as strange as I thought it was.

"Yeah, it's sort of weird being here after so many years, and some of the memories are sort of blurry still, but I'm glad I still managed to find this old place. I remembered the fire place, and hoped that my favourite couch still existed."

"So that's why there's hardly room for both of us." I joked.

Aerrow shrugged and replied, "I guess so, it was a lot easier to have enough room earlier when you were asleep and didn't care how close we were."

I immediately turned my face away from Aerrow's as I tried to hide my rising blush. _'So it turns out he's not as oblivious as I'm sometimes tempted to think….' _I thought to myself before I felt Aerrow move. It was hard for either of us to move and _not_ have the other feel it as well. Like we had both already decided, the couch wasn't really designed for two people to lie on their backs next to each other.

Sighing mentally, I turned to Aerrow and was about to apologize – _again_ – for my four in the morning attitude when he blurted, "I promised I'd keep you safe, and, well, when we got here, you were freezing and out cold." Aerrow chuckled and added quickly, "Sorry, didn't mean to make a pun out of it, because I'm serious." The Sky Knight shifted once more so he could see me clearly as he said, "I forgot where all the blankets were kept, and I couldn't exactly find much besides the fireplace and the couch from my memories, so… I decided that I'd be your human blanket and ride out your wrath in the morning so long as it meant that you were safe and warm."

I ducked my head as a wave of guilt and regret washed over me. I had gotten defensive with Aerrow and let the situation I found myself in get to me…I should've just asked Aerrow for an explanation from the start. I searched my head desperately for a way to put the pieces of my friend's shattered compassion back together, but I simply couldn't find the words.

I glanced to my right and stared at Aerrow's chest through the shadows before I turned around and faced the fireplace while inching backwards towards Aerrow. I could feel him tense at my touch, unsure of what I was doing, so I tilted my head backwards and told my friend sheepishly, "Look Aerrow, I – I'm sorry. I know now that you were only trying to help me…." I trailed off for a moment before I asked tentatively, "Would you mind if I had my blanket back until morning when we can look around and find different one?"

Aerrow looked down at me, the glow of the embers creating yellow dots of light in his green eyes as he tried to figure me out. I could sense his confusion, but he got past it and nodded, wrapping his arm around me again as he pulled me slightly closer so that we could share our body heat.

We both slowly slipped off to sleep, but I remember hearing Aerrow mutter, "Just don't kill me in the morning if you forget about this _and_ the snowstorm again."

I merely smirked.

* * *

**Alright, just to let you all know, this one's a bit of a tough one. And just as a hint, we already covered the cabin as a chocolate, I don't think couches exist in advent calendars, and even though I mentioned it a lot in this chapter, the fireplace isn't it either. Stumped? Take your best guess! There's nothing to lose, only prizes to be won! :D**

**So, I've done my best to update all of the guesses and who has how many points, and sorry if your pen names have changed and you're missing a point because I didn't find you….**

_Strawberry Kaydee _**4.5 **(wooden hut got you a half mark ;) )

_kezzywezzy25 _**4.5 **(Again, half point for hut! :D)

_Amethyst Sparrow _**4.5 **('nother half pointer for hut :/ I think I see a trend…)

_WhispertheWolf __**5**_**.5 **(You got a point for the snowman, but I felt like stable was further than a hut, though still close. However, I didn't want to get into adding on .25 as well ;) )

_Mitoki-hime _**1**

_Arendos _**1.5 **(Hut got you a .5, congrats!)

**Well, this one was for December 8****th****, so…. There are 16 chapters left, so… 16 more chances for someone to get over 15 and make me post the long lost, but hoping to be revived, chapter of APAH:R,D,NB.**

**Hope you've all been enjoying this out of date revival!**

_**Crimson Fox4**_

**P.S. Would anyone be totally aghast or against me dabbling in other fanfiction categories besides Storm Hawks? Just something I've been thinking about the past few days is all….**


	9. December 9th Beacon

**Tadaa… even with work this weekend, I've still been enjoying the homework free evenings where I get to have fun writing. You have no idea how much I've missed writing just for the fun of it.**

**Anywho, here's the next chapter! By the way, I skimmed past reviews and couldn't nail down a specific name, but to whoever suggested / requested for Cyclonians to enter into these little stories, your wait is over, enjoy!**

**The chocolate from December 8****th**** was actually a framed heart or something crazy like that. I guess I decided to use the chocolate to represent the picture frames on the mantel and even the heart part for Aerrow and Piper's friendship/fluffy moment. So, unfortunately, it was a tough one…. I tried to make this one a little better, best of luck everyone!**

**I do not own the Storm Hawks, they are the property of Nerd Corps.**

* * *

_December 9__th_

_Beacon_

Through the wind and the cold, I sat there all through the night, royally freezing my but off to be rather blunt. _'And I would love to be just as blunt with certain commanders of mine….' _I thought to myself, not bothering to try to mumble, as I assumed that my mouth would be frozen shut after not opening it for hours. No normal human being would assign me on such a task, but then again, I had never regarded Cyclonians as being normal.

Even when I was drafted as a Talon after my terra had been taken over I had never truly accepted that I was marked as a Cyclonian for life. I guess even the uniform didn't quite make it all seem real to me. I've been serving the Cyclonian Empire for over five years now, and despite my best tries, I haven't found a way out yet.

Then there were nights like this. They were nights where I'd be sent on pointless reconnaissance missions in the poorest weather or climate conditions imaginable just because some commander didn't know what to do with all their Talons. I still couldn't quite decide where to rank this amongst my many previous assignments of unrelenting elements and boredom.

_'Probably somewhere between having to hide in the swamps of Amazonia for a week, and having to walk halfway across Terra Sahar to a secret outpost after my ride was taken from me. Turns out the Dark Ace had a mean left hook even in a midair fall.'_

I grunted in frustration at my memories and the new one that I'd have after this mission was done. It was tempting to just fall asleep, I mean, the storm was making it pretty hard to even see the _Condor_, let alone scope it out for weaknesses. So, I decided hours ago when my feet were long past frozen that I would just listen to the storm all night, knowing that even Master Cyclonis couldn't possibly have a mindreading device or crystal that could reach me at the far end of the Atmos during a blizzard of all things. With this hope in mind, I decided to think of all the things Cyclonia had taken from me.

It was a pretty long list. But, as I watched a small light appear in the darkness of the storm – even after daybreak – I couldn't help but slowly be reminded of what I'd truly lost all those years ago.

As the storm let up an hour later, two figures walking through the snow drifts caused my thoughts to pause. I would've been scared that they would see me, but I was currently buried in the drifts myself, so, there really wasn't any reason to worry. I watched as they leaned on each other whenever they lost their balance, or how the tallest of the pair would offer his hand to assist his friend. She seemed to oblige happily.

I looked on in silence, a spectator to two friends' journey home. Although the snow was letting up, the dull clouds above were still blocking out the sun's light and heat. I would have _loved_ for some heat about now. However, in the minimal light, it looked like it was the steady and unyielding light that appeared part way through the night that was guiding them home. They walked among half buried snowmen and their laughter floated up from the valley below into my ears. It was all I could do to avoid frowning out of jealousy as their friends welcomed them home with bone crushing hugs and cries of victory.

I had once had family and friends of my own. Some of them even came to Cyclonia with me, and yet, over the years their resolve seemed to all but disappear. The coming Christmas season was the only time of year that they even remotely resembled the free men and women they used to be. It was amazing what five years could do to a person's spirit.

As I watched the young squadron walk into the undoubtedly warm depths of the _Condor, _united once again, I reminded myself that people like them were more like me than they could ever realize. I hadn't let my spirit of freedom break; it just remained hidden within me like I was currently hiding in the snow. The Storm Hawks, they were a part of the lucky few who were able to soar freely to the point where they could fight back for those who could not.

They fought for people like me. They just didn't know that me, and others like me were the ones they were fighting. I didn't blame them though. Sometimes a different perspective sheds light to a situation that you had never seen before. Just like the lantern's steady light from the runway guided the Sky Knight and his Navigator home, it helped to remind me why I did what I did. It helped me to see that there was still hope.

Whether they knew it or not, squadrons like the Storm Hawks acted like beacons of hope to the entire Atmos, even to Talons like me.

* * *

**Well, this should just be a reminder for everyone, I don't think anyone quite got it last round… This time around, the actual object and its name were used in the story. Good luck all!**

_Strawberry Kaydee _**4.5 **(I actually looked over my entire list of chocolates, and guess what, there's no chocolates left involving actual physical snow and ice… bizarre, right? What kind of advent calendar did I have last year? Apparently one without a whole lot of snow…. Definitely a good guess though!)

_kezzywezzy25 _**4.5 **

_Amethyst Sparrow _**4.5 **(Blanket was a good guess, and I suppose I did mention it a lot… sorry if that threw you off!)

_WhispertheWolf __**5**_**.5 **

_Mitoki-hime _**1**

_Arendos _**1.5 **

_**Crimson Fox4**_

**P.S. If at any point throughout this story you simply can't figure out the chocolate, send me a PM or let me know in a review to start making them easier to spot, okay? This contest is only fun if I give you enough hints within or without of the story so that you can make a guess. So, call me out if I'm not doing my part, okay? Thanks. :)**

**By the way, I've started to try my hand at Young Justice Stories if anyone's interested...**


	10. December 10th AWftCS

**Well, here's an update, short and sweet. Sorry about the long wait, especially after I expressed I wanted to get at least one or two updates up each week…**

**I'll spare you the details, but basically, school, work, and a vacation without internet swallowed me whole… followed by more school and work! :P But no worries, I have the ENTIRE weekend free, and I plan to enjoy it typing and doing other things. **

**The chocolate from December the 9****th**** was indeed a lantern, congratulations to WhispertheWolf and Amethyst Sparrow for guessing correctly!  
**

**Well, enjoy this short little update. If it sounds awkward, that's because I was experimenting with third person.**

**I do not own the Storm Hawks, they are the property of Nerd Corps.**

* * *

_December 10__th_

_A Wallop for the Christmas Season_

It had been five months since Junko had seen Tynki, and as he stood in his second nephew's third uncle's first cousin's living room, Junko was suddenly very glad that he came to visit. It was only about a week into December, but Junko knew that the Storm Hawks could end up anywhere on Christmas, so he decided to spend one of the squadron's free days on his home terra visiting his family and friends.

There was already a thin blanket of snow covering the terra, and Junko knew that with one or two more good snowstorms the slopes would be at their prime for tobogganing. With that in mind, Junko had placed a homemade sled under the tree for Tynki to use with his friends when he got old enough. Junko had made it out of a good, solid piece of wood and designed the metal runners using metal from his personal stash. The sled didn't just have to be Wallop proof, it had to be Tynki proof as well.

His distant cousin soon came into the room holding Tynki, and the two adults caught up with each other while Junko entertained Tynki at the same time. His grip had become stronger since their last meeting, and the Storm Hawk made a mental note to not let Finn and his finger get close to the little Wallop again until he was fully aware of his strength. Despite Tynki's growth spurt over the past five months, Junko quickly noticed that his strong sense of curiosity was still prominent.

Tynki attempted several times to get past his favourite babysitter to investigate the new arrival under the Christmas tree, but with no such luck. Eventually Tynki stopped trying to get past Junko, but the older Wallops both knew the young Wallop would eventually find a way to look at the newest gifts Junko had brought with him.

Junko was glad to spend some time with his extended family during the holiday season, and was excited to hear about their reactions to the gifts he had brought them. Junko had made everyone something small from the odds and ends of metal he collected. The gifts ranged anywhere from bracelets for his aunts, to tree decoration for some of his younger cousins.

The Wallop of the Storm Hawks deeply enjoyed Christmas and the holidays that came with it, but not because of the gifts. He loved seeing families come together from all ends of the Atmos to see each other and reacquaint themselves. He was a constant traveller himself, but he knew that he would always have his family on terra Wallop if he ever needed them.

Sure, he was different than most Wallops, but when it came to Christmas and delivering heartfelt gifts and toboggans, he was able to let his sensitive side show through. After all, 'twas the season for gifts, feelings, and new beginnings.

* * *

**Alright, here are the updated results. Also, there is the potential for a BONUS point this chapter, so if anyone is looking to catch up some, this is the chapter for you! The chocolate for the tenth almost had two parts to it, so if you get either part, you'll get a point. If you get both parts, then two points. :) Good luck everyone!**

_Strawberry Kaydee _**4.5 **

_kezzywezzy25 _**4.5 **

_Amethyst Sparrow __**5**_**.5 **

_WhispertheWolf __**6**_**.5 **

_Mitoki-hime _**1**

_Arendos _**1.5 **

_**Crimson Fox4**_

**P.S. Feel free to PM me if I'm taking too long with the updates (A friendly reminder is always welcome), or if you have any suggestions as to Point of Views you would like me to use. Your suggestions and comments are always welcome!**


	11. December 11th Secret of a Childhood Past

**I really do like shortened school days. I'd absolutely adore them if the snow, slush, and ice I had to drive through this morning cancelled said shortened day… but ah well! All the same, it's given me some time to do some much needed writing.**

**My excuse this time? You try working for over a week straight plus school and homework in there, ;P Anyway though, enjoy this update! I actually ended up writing in third person again. Do any of you have a preference between first and third person when it comes to my writing? Let me know which one you like best!**

**The chocolate for December the tenth was a sled with presents on top of it. That's why I split it into two points, it's like having two objects in one! Congratulations go to WhispertheWolf and Amethyst Sparrow for guessing the sled/ toboggan right, and for WhsipertheWolf getting a bonus for guessing presents as the other half of the chocolate.**

**I do not own the Storm Hawks, they are the property of Nerd Corps.**

* * *

_December 11__th_

_Secrets of a Childhood Past_

Snipe was the powerhouse of the Cyclonian commanders, or at least that's what he thought. He may not have been the smartest or most precise compared to the Dark Ace or his sister Ravess, but what he lacked in his mind he made up for in brute strength. He would often concede to their orders if they were working on a mission together for Master Cyclonis, but he still fought with his sister at times. After all, what grown siblings _don't_ argue?

Most of the time Ravess would end up tricking her brother in order to win the argument or get the better half of an unsavoury assignment, yet there was one argument he would never let Ravess win. He would never let her convince him to throw out his old and raggedy teddy bear. Sure, it had seen much better days and could use some TLC, but Snipe wasn't the handiest with a needle and thread – he had tried multiple times and had ended up making excuses in the infirmary for the small cuts and pricks on his hands.

No matter what the cost though, Snipe would never part with his bear that was as old as he was.

Snipe and Ravess hadn't always lived on Cyclonia or even been aligned with its morals and plans for ruling the Atmos. However, a lot can change in someone's life over the course of a war. They had lived on a small terra with a few other families, but the Cyclonians had attacked them in the middle of the night and took no prisoners except for the children. They had been taken from their beds, frightened and afraid of what their future held, and none of them arrived on Cyclonia with a single personal possession except for those who had refused to let go of whatever they had been sleeping with.

Snipe had been brought to Cyclonia with an iron grip on his teddy bear. Even though he was scared and had no idea what was happening or where his sister was, the bear reminded him of his home. He wasn't going to let anyone take that final memory away from him, especially with only two weeks to Christmas. Snipe often wondered to himself if that was where his need for strength had come from – to protect what was dear to him.

Yet, that noble drive for strength had been mutilated by the Cyclonians as he was put through rigorous training as a Talon. Any morality Snipe had been taught as a child had long since been thrown into the wastelands even before he became a Cyclonian Commander. However, he would dig his teddy bear out of its hiding place in his closet each December and secretly wish for the days of his long forgotten childhood.

He was a Cyclonian. He was a brute and hard headed. But when it came to Christmas, he always took a secret moment to enjoy the familiarity and sense of home and family that his old bear brought.

Snipe would never allow Ravess to take his dear old friend away from him. His sister may have looked after him during the first rough days of adjusting to Cyclonian life, but it was his bear that had attempted to save his humanity.

Although unsuccessful, his bear would wait patiently to be brought out once a year to act as a ray of hope and an object of remembrance of a different Atmos that hadn't been torn and broken because of war.

* * *

**Alright, here are the current results! Remember that there is a prize for whoever guesses the most chocolates correctly! Also, something special will happen if someone cracks fifteen by the end of the 24 days. And I've been thinking, if someone guesses ten or more correctly, perhaps I can work out a small prize of some sort for them as well, as that takes a lot of time and commitment to keep guesing, and I really appreciate it!**

_Strawberry Kaydee _**4.5 **

_kezzywezzy25 _**4.5 **

_Amethyst Sparrow __**6**_**.5 (You're getting pretty close to ten, keep it up!)**

_WhispertheWolf __**8**_**.5 (You're getting really close!) **

_Mitoki-hime _**1**

_Arendos _**1.5 **

_**Crimson Fox4**_

**P.S. The next chapter is typed already, I just have to edit it, so expect to see it in a couple of days. I'm hoping since December is just a day or two away that I can keep up the pace.. this is only the 11****th**** one!**


	12. December 12th Decorating à la Finn

**So, it's the 2****nd**** of December, thus I'm ten days ahead! Except for the year in between… haha…. WhispertheWolf may have been onto something when they said that I might end up posting on the correct dates again, we'll have to see!**

**Congratulations to WhispertheWolf, Amethyst Sparrow, and Strawberry Kaydee for guessing the correct answer. On December the 11****th**** last year, the chocolate was a teddy bear. Wow, you are all getting pretty high up there when it comes to the number you've guessed right…. I'll have to start throwing in a hard chocolate here and there ;)**

**For now though, enjoy some fun with Finn!**

**I don't own the Storm Hawks, they are the property of Nerd Corps.**

* * *

_December 12__th_

_Decorating à la Finn_

When we stopped at terra Atmosia yesterday to go Christmas shopping at their market, I figured I'd just end up finding all of those Christmas knickknacks that people use for a few days and then get forgotten underneath their bed until next year. Or, I thought I'd end up finding some decorations that are hardly worth buying because they only get used once a year and break a week after you buy them anyway.

It turns out though, that there _is_ one kind of Christmas decoration that is completely worth hanging up once a year.

Radarr had helped me smuggle my precious decorations onto the _Condor_ yesterday afternoon before any of the others got back from doing their Christmas shopping. It'd been easy enough since no one else had come back yet, but where was the fun in doing something sneaky and slightly evil if there wasn't a James Bond sequence in there somewhere with my accomplice in crime – er, _decorating_.

In any case, Radarr and I had a lot of fun sneaking through the halls even if there was no one around to be hiding from. Sometimes it's just the fun of going through the motions of being covert with no one around to critique your style or laugh when you do a somersault and end up getting your foot stuck in the sink – again.

Today however, I was enjoying the fruits of my late night labour. I had purposefully stayed up late last night until I knew for certain that all of my teammates were in bed dreaming away. That was when I went to work.

Walking around the _Condor_ today, I was keeping constant tabs on my friends, especially a certain redheaded Sky Knight and a sassy navigator.

As I sat on the bridge while they looked over a map of the quadrant we were flying in, I couldn't find any evidence in my squad's actions or conversations that they had noticed the subtle decorations that were hung in every doorway of the _Condor_. It was a little disheartening actually that they hadn't noticed all of the effort I had put into making the ship Christmas ready.

Maybe I'd just have to help them appreciate the festiveness a different way.

Smirking as I noticed that Piper and Aerrow were clearing the table of her maps and diagrams in order to go and have their daily afternoon sparring match, I stopped leaning against the railing near the helm and made my way off the bridge in order to put my Christmas decorations to good use.

Standing just out of sight and to the right of the only door off the bridge that led to the training room, I waited to pounce. I heard my friends' animated chatter and laughter grow slowly louder until I could hear them just on the other side of the door. Grinning at what I knew would happen soon, I jumped out from my hiding place and effectively stopped Aerrow and Piper in their tracks side by side in the wide bridge doorway.

From their confused looks, I realized the flaw in my plan – I didn't have an excuse as to why I suddenly appeared in front of them. Oh well, I'd like to think that improvising excuses is a specialty of mine.

"Hey guys, how were the maps?" I asked, receiving questioning looks from both of them.

Aerrow raised an eyebrow at me before replying, "Fine Finn, the maps are very… detailed?"

"Oh, that's good." Okay, this conversation wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

"Did you want something Finn, or are you just trying to annoy me because you have nothing better to do?" Piper's biting remark gave the conversation an instant sense of normality and I decided to roll with it.

Grinning, I asked, "I was just wondering what is _up_ between you two," I paused for a moment but cut in just before Piper could, grinning all the more as Aerrow looked above him after seeing my eyes flicker upwards purposefully. "I mean, you were staring at those maps for at least an hour."

"That's kind of the point of navigating Finn. I stare at the maps so you don't have too." We both glared at each other for a moment, but before I went to retort, I couldn't help but smirk inwardly at Aerrow's wide, darting eyes that were looking anywhere or at anything _except_ Piper.

"Gee, if you _love_ your maps so much Piper, maybe you ought to _kiss_ them or something."

Piper's perplexed look was classic, but Aerrow's red tinted cheeks were plain hilarious. _'This has to be the best Christmas tradition ever created!'_

"Finn, why are you acting so weird?" Piper questioned me, her eyes never leaving my grinning face. I was glad she wasn't looking to Aerrow for help figuring me out because she may have interrupted our Sky Knight's all too humorous inner battle that was being waged.

"I don't know, I thought our arguments like this were a _tradition_ or something like that, you know? I'd_ never_ want to break an _age old tradition_. I mean, who does that?" I definitely had poor Aerrow sweating now, and I could see him starting to break down as his illogical and impulsive side began to win the battle in his mind.

"Finn, what are you –" Piper paused partway through her sentence as Aerrow's lips brushed against her cheek for a split second before he walked away briskly towards the training room.

It was all I could do to contain my laughter considering the surprised look Piper was sporting, and how Aerrow's cheeks may have managed to match the colour of his hair. As Piper redirected her stunned look from Aerrow's disappearing back to me, I pointed upwards before I exploded in laughter and headed towards my room, calling over my shoulder, "Merry Christmas guys!"

* * *

**Oh Finn, what shall we ever do with you?**

**If you guys didn't notice, I had a lot of fun writing this one. Also… the chocolate was never outright mentioned in this one, just to give you a hint. So, here are the results after the round of guessing last chapter:**

_Strawberry Kaydee __**5**_**.5 (Just over halfway to ten!) **

_kezzywezzy25 _**4.5 **

_Amethyst Sparrow __**7**_**.5 (Three thirds of the way there!)**

_WhispertheWolf __**9**_**.5 (0.5 away… wow!) **

_Mitoki-hime _**1**

_Arendos _**1.5 **

**I wasn't sure if people would keep guessing for this long, especially after almost a whole year! Thanks everyone, it makes this a lot more fun!**

_**Crimson Fox4**_


	13. December 13th And So I Wait

**Well, I honestly don't have much to say, except that wow… another Christmas has been and gone and this story still isn't done! Ah well… I hope you all enjoyed your Christmas/time off!**

**Indeed! As so many of you guessed, the chocolate for December 12****th**** was mistletoe.**

**I do not own the Storm Hawks. They are the property of Nerd Corps.**

* * *

_December 13__th_

_And So I Wait_

With a single purpose in mind, I snuck out of Aerrow's room and darted around the corner of the hallway. I leaned against the wall for a few moments to listen.

Nothing.

I let out a breath I didn't even know I was holding as I took a few steps to my left and pulled out a candle and a book of matches from behind one of the potted plants that somehow survived in the hallways of the _Condor_. With the way Stork flew when Cyclonians attacked the ship, it was no small wonder that Junko eventually decided to superglue the pots to the floor. It usually worked, except for that one time I did a bunch of barrel rolls… let's just say I was wiping soil stains off of the roof for a week.

Striking a match to light the small candle in my hand, I slowly made my way to the bridge using the small halo of light from the candle to guide me.

Sure, I could have made it to the bridge of the _Condor_ in my sleep without a light – I've done so many times – but the small flickering light was a part of my Christmas Eve tradition. It was also one that I didn't want my friends to know about.

Walking onto the bridge, I trotted gently towards the table before reaching up and placing the candle on it. Satisfied that it wasn't going to fall or tip over, I jumped up onto a chair next to the table. I settled down, leaned back, and crossed my arms and mentally prepared myself to wait.

When it comes to waiting for someone special to arrive, staying calm, collected, and most importantly, having an alert mind are essential – especially on Christmas Eve. However, keeping myself awake while I'm alone on the silent bridge at night is no easy feat. I only get one shot at meeting this person every year, and I always mess up.

Most years, I fall asleep. Other years, I got caught sneaking out of Aerrow`s room. Last year? Well, last year we were fighting Cyclonians – on Christmas Eve of all nights!

I had not been impressed.

Nonetheless, I am determined to stay awake this year and meet the person who always leaves these great gifts for me… such pretty, shiny… gifts. I tried to fight my heavy eyelids, but they won out and I fell asleep with a snore.

-X

"Radarr?" I cracked an eye open and looked around the room at the sound of Aerrow's distant call. That was when I noticed that the bridge was upside down. Upside down?

With a screech, I felt myself fall from all the wiggling I had done when I woke up. As soon as my head collided with the floor however, I remembered the events of last night and why I had been on the bridge.

Gathering together any alertness I possessed, I peeled myself off the _Condor's_ floor and bolted towards my room. Aerrow could never know that his co-pilot had just started the first night of his training for Christmas Eve.

I was going to meet that gift bringer this year – even if it meant practicing staying up for two weeks. Nothing was going to stop me this year! And if Cyclonians attack us again? Well, they had better be prepared to deal with the wrath of Radarr!

* * *

**Well, here are the updated results! Good luck to everyone, some of you are getting pretty close to ten! In fact, WhispertheWolf… send me a PM or a review some time and let me know if there was something short you'd want me to write, or pick up again / expand upon.**

_Strawberry Kaydee __**6**_**.5 **

_kezzywezzy25 _**4.5 **

_Amethyst Sparrow __**8**_**.5 **

_WhispertheWolf __**10**_**.5 **

_Mitoki-hime _**1**

_Arendos _**1.5 **

_SassyGirl104_** 1**

**Thanks again for reading and all the reviews I've been getting… and sorry about my untimely disappearance! **

**~Crimson Fox4**


	14. December 14th Traditions

**Hello all, let's see if I can get this story completed this year!**

**I do not own the Storm Hawks, they are the property of Nerd Corps.**

* * *

_December 14__th_

_Traditions_

For as long as Aerrow could remember, he had always managed to spend New Year's Eve on Terra Atmosia. The memories became blurry with age, but he still remembered the joy and excitement he had felt as a toddler watching fireworks light up the midnight sky from his vantage point on his father's broad shoulders. Some of his favourite memories were from recent years when he came to Atmosia with his squadron – back when they were just a bunch of friends with high flying dreams.

There were days when he longed for the simplicity of years far gone, but New Year's was just as much about looking to the future as it was remembering the past. Aerrow threw his arms around the shoulders of his friends closest to him – Finn and Piper – and grinned when Radarr jumped from Piper's shoulders to his.

The future was a funny, fickle thing, and as they prepared to celebrate their first New Year's Eve as the Storm Hawks Aerrow was reminded of his encounter with the oracle in the Forbidden City.

The oracle had been cryptic about what she had shown Aerrow of the future, yet she was grateful to be saved by the Storm Hawks. Aerrow could only hope that the courage of his teammates – his friends – would see them through whatever the new year held; whether they were imprisoned or free, at war or celebrating peace, or even if they drifted apart or drew closer together.

Together.

As the bell began to chime in the church tower above the town square, Aerrow joined his friends in the countdown to New Year's Day.

"Ten!" Junko's excited voice belted out above all the others in the square, and Aerrow knew that few could match his Wallop friend's strength of heart.

"N-nine…" Though he was always hesitant to join in the yearly festivities, Stork's hesitation and endless preparation had saved their squadron on multiple occasions – Aerrow was even thankful for Stork's unending knowledge of rare creatures and obscure ailments (though Aerrow would never understand why Stork had doused both him and Piper in several disinfectants after finding out about their mistletoe incident that had been orchestrated by Finn a couple of weeks earlier).

"Eight!" Finn smiled widely as the countdown continued, never missing a number, just like he never missed a shot.

"Squawk!" Radarr's attempt at counting caused the Sky Knight to beam, remembering a night long ago when he had met Radarr for the first time on his seventh birthday.

"Six!" Aerrow called, proud to be one of the six Storm Hawks that the Atmos had left to protect it.

"Five!" Aerrow's squadron chorused, and he let thankfulness wash over him like a tidal wave as he enjoyed the comforting presence of his five closest friends.

"Four." Piper murmured gently as Aerrow drew his dearest friend closer to him, recalling fondly the encouragement his navigator had been to him for the four, almost five years that he had been lucky enough to know her for.

"Three!" Anticipation built amongst the group, eyes darting about and searching the dark winter sky for the first sign of a colourful explosion.

"Two!" To Aerrow, this had to be one of his favourite moments of the whole year – the end of one and the start of another.

"One!" As the group's anticipation reached a crescendo of mirth, Aerrow once again reminded himself that he always knew one thing for sure as he started a new year alongside his friends.

Cries of "Happy New Year!" echoed about Terra Atmosia's town square, unable to be drowned out by the twelfth toll of the church bell, or by the fireworks lighting up the skies overhead. Hugs were exchanged amongst groups of friends and family members all over the square, and the Storm Hawks saw no need to act differently.

They all took turns embracing one another in celebration, and a 'whoop!' was let out by Finn after witnessing Piper's quick peck to their Sky Knight's reddening face. Their laughter and joy remained throughout their early morning journey back to the _Condor_.

Aerrow dawdled at the back of the group, content to just watch his friends in front of him climb up the walkway to the flight deck. The Sky Knight paused at the bottom of the ramp and took one final look up at the explosions in the sky, assuring himself that if one thing was for certain it was that the Storm Hawks would make a big impression that coming year – in their own explosive way.

* * *

**For those who read this from the beginning, or have just found this story now, let me know if you would like me to continue with the guessing game and keeping track of scores and what not.**

**~Crimson Fox4**


	15. December 15th Christmas Curiosity

**Okay, so it sounds like some people would still like to play the game of guessing what advent chocolate shape corresponds to each chapter. So, keep on guessing, and I will start posting the tallies at the end of each chapter starting in a few days. On a side note - to anyone who has changed their username since the last time I posted scores (Ch. 13), please let me know!**

**I do not own the Storm Hawks, they are the property of Nerd Corps.**

* * *

_December 15__th_

_Christmas Curiosity_

Aerrow always seemed to find something adventurous to do, and it was Radarr's job to be there to help him as soon as fun and adventure turned into very real danger. Whether or not the other squadron members ever took any of his plans seriously (or understood his charade instructions), he was always ready and willing to be a part of any plans that would help Aerrow.

In the air, Radarr always had a vast, varied arsenal at the ready, tucked into the depths of his cockpit. On the _Condor_, Radarr knew every nook and cranny of the ship almost as well as Stork. Such knowledge was essential to get out of tight situations.

Unfortunately, especially around Christmas, there were certain situations Radarr found himself in that were just _too_ tight to handle, and _oh_ so embarrassing to boot.

-X

"So, uh, does anyone have a clue how this happened?" Aerrow asked his perplexed teammates.

"Probably a strato-elf has been hiding on the _Condor_ for months, waiting for an opportune moment -"

"Stork, even if that were possible, and I'm definitely not saying it is, why would they go after Radarr?" Piper asked.

"He's the smallest, thus an easy target." Stork replied as though it was simple logic that every intruder would come to the same conclusion.

A muffled growl of discontent came from Radarr.

"Radarr's hardly an easy target, Stork, he moves too fast." Aerrow insisted, coming to the defense of his furry friend, seeing as he was in no position to defend his own pride at that moment.

"I guess we can't really even ask Radarr about what happened to him either." Junko observed.

"Guys, you're missing the whole point of this situation," Finn began, exasperated, "It doesn't matter _how_ this happened, just how _hilarious_ it is that it _did_ happen!"

A series of very unimpressed sounds came from Radarr, he was obviously very frustrated with Finn.

"Finn, I really don't think -"

"Aerrow, come _on_! Are you trying to tell me that this isn't even a bit funny?" Finn insisted.

"Well…" Aerrow rubbed the back of his neck in discomfort, taking a moment to look down at his poor furry friend – what he could see of him anyway. "I guess, in a way…."

A _very_ perturbed growl came from Radarr as even his best friend started to make fun of him.

"Sorry, Radarr," Aerrow apologized before adding, "It's just that Finn may actually have a point. I don't know how you did it Radarr, or why, but it's pretty funny that you can't get yourself unstuck…."

Radarr let out a quiet whimper of defeat. There would be no keeping his dignity today if he couldn't get out of the mess he had gotten himself into. He tried to wiggle around, but his arms were pinned to his sides. He resorted to trying to twist his body to try and get out, but he only found himself further encased in leather. How _had_ he gotten himself into this? It didn't really seem to matter to him anymore, as no matter what had happened it still resulted in him being stuck.

As Radarr continued his attempts to free himself, Finn bent down to pick up the matching object that the co-pilot had been so curious about. "So… whose are these anyway? I don't think you're going to be able to use them anytime soon – unless someone plans to help Radarr out?"

Aerrow smirked. "He'll get out eventually."

"What about air?" Everyone turned to look at the navigator. "Well, if he's stuck in that small of a space, is he able to breathe well enough?"

"I'm sure he can breathe, Piper, not that the air in there will be all that fresh." Finn chuckled at the thought before once more asking, "Seriously though, whose are these? They look as though they would belong to someone with a Santa suit."

"Well, they're either mine, or Stork's – we both have a pair." Junko admitted.

"Oh, I see, wait… Stork dresses up as Santa?" Finn asked incredulously.

As the conversation carried on above his head, slightly muffled due to the tight spot he found himself in, Radarr sighed in frustration. He had been hoping Jolly old St. Nick had left his boots here by accident somehow, and Radarr had been hoping to take advantage of that and get a good whiff of his scent to track him.

To Radarr's disappointment, it had turned out the Christmas looking item actually belonged to the _Condor's_ pilot – it smelled far too much like antiseptic to belong to Junko. Radarr stopped attempting to find his own method to get free. As soon as Stork realized that Radarr was stuck in his belonging, it wouldn't take the Merb long to get him unstuck in order to sanitize any germs the co-pilot may have left behind.

Waiting for Stork to get him out would definitely be the quicker route – Radarr wasn't sure how long it would take before someone else on the team finally took pity on him. Well, Radarr didn't need their pity – not today. Radarr had Stork on his side – a true secret Santa! Well, he had been secret until Junko told everyone.

* * *

**Hope you all enjoyed this one, and good luck with the guessing!**

**~Crimson Fox4**


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